Returning to Romania!

I hope you are having a beautiful and blessed first month of this new year; the prospects of a year yet to have stories written on it gives me a little bounce in my step that the end of a year just doesn't quite have. I am writing to tell you a bit about something I am praying and working toward doing this year:

    Many of you will remember that last year, a group of eight young men and women from our church (including me and my sister Rachel) and a friend's church traveled from Virginia to Arad, Romania. We visited various Romanian churches over a period of 12 days speaking and singing, helping Pastor Ioan Zaharia and his son Cristian with their ministry. We also spent time interacting with many young adults around our ages and were able to mutually encourage one another—far more than I had even hoped. God truly blessed our time and changed me through it, giving me a new love for God's people across the world, and inspiring me to live daily in the joy of the Gospel. We have been invited back this year to participate in this ministry to the Romanian people. This year the team will travel to some new locations as well as revisit some of the previous churches; I am excited at the prospect of getting to minister farther into the mountainous areas and to see again my sweet brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we left a promise to return. :)

       As always, I would ask that you pray for our team, that our hearts would be right as we prepare to go, that God would prepare each person we are going to meet as we go, and that all the details would work out according to His will. I'd also like to ask for prayer in regards to provision of funds for the 2014 trip. The cost for airfare, lodging, food, and travel expense while in Romania is $1, 625 per person for two weeks. If you feel led to contribute financially, to this years mission to Romania, you can mail in a check (in the memo box please write my name so they can keep donations organized) to 

Trinity Mennonite Church, P.O. Box 473,

 Prospect, VA, 23960. 

Or you can donate online by going to Trinity’s missions web site: www.tmcmissiontrips.blogspot.com . You can also keep up with planning, team members, and specific prayer requests from this site. (Trinity is the other church with whom we went last year and they are taking over the organization this year, so if you don't recognize the name it is because it isn't my church specifically.)  We are hoping to nail down the specific travel dates as soon as possible. We would like to be able to purchase the tickets by March 10, 2014. This will allow the Romanian pastors to make our church/speaking schedule, as well as other travel arrangements. 

Thank you for praying with us and I so look forward to telling you about how God worked when we return!

If you have any questions or would like more info, please leave a comment!!! :) 

Meet the Team!

Pictures from Romania 2013 Trip

In Christ,
Sarah

Cafe En Romania!!!

It was a blast.

It was exhausting.

It was a success.

It was a strain.

It was, in short, the thing God used to pull us through the last $700 dollars of fund-raising to victory in making money for Romania!! 

Josie came down to spend Thursday-Sunday with us and be an extra pair of eyes and hands...she was awesome and helpful and so darling.

The rest of you came and spent money and made over $200 at the coffee night!

Others came to the yard-sale the following morning and bought more coffee and spent more money and made another $600+ dollars.

In short, God provided enough and a bit past enough to finish sending Sarah and I and six others to Romania in under two weeks!!! I cannot believe it is coming up so soon. It seems unreal because I have dreamed of this time for the past two years. Two of our team members went early and just got back last Tuesday and came home with such stories as to make me more excited than ever!! 

We rearranged all the furniture, too down all preexisting decorations, and redecorated the house with coffee-shop flair. It look phenomenal when we were finished! 

There was also The Pioneer Woman's Coffee-Cake, which was heaven-come-down.

Thanks to everyone for coming and helping push us through this last hump! It was a really cool fun night even without the fact that we were raising money for Romania. :) Wish many of you who didn't come could have, because it was amazing! :D We will be writing another post about all of our decorations and the fact that they were accomplished without spending a red cent, but for now enjoy this update and again, thanks a million! <3